Competency #10: Prepare for On-going Professional Challenges

Evidence 1: SBIRT Training Reflection

My senior year I was granted the opportunity of participating in a SBIRT training. This

training is a simulation of a therapeutic relationship between a social worker and a client. The

conversation between the parties regarded the client’s relationship with substance. The

simulation provided training on best practice and how to navigate this topic with the client. From

the simulation I gained knowledge that I will be able to apply long-term in my profession, such

as interviewing strategies and boundary building tactics. The experimental nature of the

conversation allows the participant to try I couple of different interviewing strategies to learn

which ones are more effective for the client’s boundaries and motivation. Social Work is a field

of human service so knowing appropriate language and interviewing is essential to the

profession.

The simulation begins with engaging the client an establishing oneself as the worker.

This is crucial in every interaction so that the client understands the professional role of the

worker. Within this first engagement boundaries are also established, and the relationship is to be

understood as a worker client relationship. As competency ten’s first learning behavior suggests

to demonstrate an understanding of boundaries that determine professional roles and

agency function, the simulation addresses what language to use to establish these boundaries.

The style of the language is professional, but it reinforces the rights of the clients. In the SBIRT

training one of the essential pieces of the interviewing style is to ask for permission to discuss

the topic of the client’s relationship with substance and reinforces the rights of the client in

which their participation is voluntary. It’s important for the professional to inform the client of
their rights and this style of interviewing upholds the client’s boundaries. If the client wishes not

to answer a question or even discuss the topic there boundaries are respected.

The simulation then proceeds to motivational interviewing. Motivational interviewing is

a counseling method in which the worker helps the client resolve ambivalent feelings or

insecurities to find motivation to change a behavior identified by the client. There are trainings

on motivational interviewing and its presence in the social work profession is prevalent.

Therefore the simulation completes competency ten’s final learning behavior of responding to

contexts that shape practice by attending to changing locales, populations, scientific and

technological developments, and emerging societal trends to provide relevant services. The

SBIRT simulation is informed with contemporary theories and practices by utilizing

motivational interviewing strategies.

The motivational interviewing strategies are meant to engage the client in the challenging

conversation of substance use. From there the worker and the client can identify behaviors that

the client may wish the change, and explore steps to make the change. Substance use is a

prevalent and ongoing challenge for both clients and workers. Therefore from the SBIRT

training I have gained some skills that inform my choice of intervention and how to implement

an intervention for such a challenge. As the second learning behavior of competency ten

suggests, I engaged in career-long learning by learning motivational interviewing strategies and

how to converse appropriately with a client and letting these skills inform my practice.